Tag: Javon Kinlaw

Robert Saleh believes Javon Kinlaw could be poised ‘to do something special’ with the Jets

Robert Saleh believes in Javon Kinlaw’s potential impact with the Jets.

Javon Kinlaw has made it through training camp and preseason healthy in what is a potentially huge development for the New York Jets.

Signed by the Jets this offseason as a free agent, the 6-foot-5, 319-pound Kinlaw had 25 total tackles and a career-high 3.5 sacks in 2023 in 17 games with the San Francisco 49ers. He was a first round pick out of South Carolina in the 2020 NFL draft.

This is a potential bounceback season for Kinlaw, who ended each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons on Injured Reserve. He played in every game last year for the 49ers, but piecing together consecutive seasons of regular snaps would be huge for his career.

For head coach Robert Saleh, this has been a good offseason for Kinlaw.

“Knock on wood for him, he’s felt good all of camp,” Saleh told reporters on Saturday.

“He’s taken every single rep. He feels like he’s in a really good place both physically and mentally. And because of the fact that he’s been able to take all these reps, we’ve been able to help him really hone in on his game. When you’re in and out of the lineup, you’re just playing, you’re not locking into a technique or anything. To his credit, he’s found a way to get himself healthy and he’s bought into everything that we preach on the d-line with regards to technique and all that stuff. Really looking forward to seeing what he does this year. I think he has a chance to do something special for himself.”

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As a rookie in 2020, Kinlaw had 33 total tackles and 1.5 sacks (as well as an interception) in 14 games. Similar production alongside Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams would be huge for the Jets.

Addition of Javon Kinlaw bolsters Jets interior pass rush rotation

The New York Jets provided their interior pass rush rotation with a needed boost by signing Javon Kinlaw, who is coming off a career year.

The New York Jets get some much-needed help along the interior defensive line, signing former San Francisco 49er Javon Kinlaw to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter.

The contract specifics for Kinlaw have not yet been reported, but for what it’s worth, PFF projected that he would land a one-year deal in the $5.5 million range.

A former first-round pick by San Francisco in 2020, an ACL injury in 2021 would derail Kinlaw’s sophomore season following a rookie season where he appeared in 14 games.

Between 2021 and 2022, Kinlaw would appear in only 10 total games, leading to the 49ers declining his fifth-year option for the 2024 season, making him a free agency.

However, between Kinlaw’s fifth-year option getting declined and where we are today, he played in all 17 regular season games for the 49ers and all three playoff games as well.

As a rotational defender, Kinlaw would play the third-most interior defensive line snaps on the 49ers, behind only Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. His 35 pressures were the fifth-most on the team and league-wide. Kinlaw ranked 38th out of 129 interior defenders in PFF’s pass-rush win-rate metric.

Two factors in particular were crucial in Kinlaw having a bounce-back season in 2023: for one, he was healthy throughout the offseason and better prepared, and two, was becoming much more consistent.

“I think the number one thing with him is he’s healthy, unlike he’s been in the past,” said former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks in December. “And then there’s one word that you’re alluding to, which is he’s playing consistent. He’s really been consistent these last couple of weeks.

“I love the way he’s playing with lower pad level. Really as we talk about all the time, trying to create a new line of scrimmage, playing on their side of the ball. Everything we do is about penetration and you can see that with him.”

Listed at 6’5” – 320 pounds, Kinlaw can eat up space in the middle, but where he needs to continue to find more consistency is holding up at the point of attack in the run game.

Coming to the Jets, there will be some familiarity for Kinlaw, having spent his rookie season with Robert Saleh, who was the San Francisco defensive coordinator at that time.

Of the Jets’ top four interior defensive linemen from the 2023 season in terms of total snaps played, Quinnen Williams is the only one under contract prior to free agency. Solomon Thomas, Quinton Jefferson, and Al Woods are all unrestricted free agents.

So, along with needing to simply add depth to what is a heavily rotated position group where oftentimes four defenders see snaps each week, the Jets also need to find an impact player or two to partner with Williams.

Whether it be through the draft or free agency, such as re-signing Jefferson, the Jets’ work is not done when it comes to this position group.

Kinlaw will become an immediate member of the Jets’ interior defensive line rotation, and if Joe Douglas can add the right players around him and Williams, Kinlaw’s ideal role will come on third downs or obvious passing situations where he can get after the quarterback.

In Salehs’ defense, which does not often blitz, creating quarterback pressure depends heavily on the defensive front consistently winning its matchups.

Jets add veteran piece up front, sign DT Javon Kinlaw

The Jets have a new veteran presence on the defensive line, adding former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw.

The Jets have a new veteran defensive tackle to go with Quinnen Williams as they signed former 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Kinlaw appeared in all 17 regular season games and all three playoff games for the 49ers in their run to Super Bowl LVIII. He had 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks in the regular season and added nine tackles in the playoffs.

The former first-round pick hasn’t quite lived up to the billing, posting just five sacks and 70 tackles in four seasons in San Francisco but now he gets to line up next to Williams up front. Last season, Quinton Jefferson was added as a free agent and posted six games in 14 games before getting hurt late in the season.

The Jets needed some help up front with Jefferson, Al Woods and Solomon Thomas all currently free agents, though it’s still possible Thomas comes back.

The Real Forno Show: 12 free agents Vikings should pursue

On the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, we discuss 12 free agents the Minnesota Vikings should pursue in free agency.

This is an incredibly pivotal offseason for the Minnesota Vikings. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is tasked with finding the future at the quarterback position along with potentially replacing Danielle Hunter and extending Justin Jefferson.

With nearly $40 million in salary cap space, there is plenty of salary cap space to make a splash and fortify the roster. On the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, we discuss 12 players that they should be targeting once the legal tampering period begins on March 11th.

  • Miami DT Christian Wilkins
  • Miami DE Emmanuel Ogbah
  • Miami ILB Jerome Baker
  • Cincinnati DT D.J. Reader
  • Seattle TE Noah Fant
  • Seattle ILB Jordyn Brooks
  • New York RB Saquon Barkley
  • San Francisco DT Javon Kinlaw
  • San Francisco EDGE Chase Young
  • Dallas EDGE Dorance Armstrong Jr.
  • Baltimore EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
  • Carolina ILB Frankie Luvu

Why should they target these players and which combinations would make sense to target in unison? How many do they “need to” sign?

We are here to break it all down and more on the latest episode of The Real Forno Show, airing Monday and Wednesday nights at 6 pm central on the Vikings 1st & SKOL YouTube channel.

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6 Interior defensive linemen Vikings could target in free agency

From Chris Jones to Christian Wilkins, here are six players the Minnesota Vikings could look to bring in via free agency to upgrade their defense at defensive tackle.

Unlike the interior of the offensive line, the interior of the defensive line isn’t an area of need for the Minnesota Vikings. They have some talent at the position already in-house with nose tackle Harrison Phillips and defensive tackles Sheldon Day and Khyiris Tonga.

They also have 2023 fifth-round pick Jaquelin Roy at the position, who showed some promise during the season. The Vikings have a solid group up front already.

With that said, the league is constantly changing and evolving. If you’re not constantly looking for ways to improve your team, you may as well pack your bags now – cause you’re not going to last long in this league.

The defensive tackle group they have in Minnesota right now is adequate, but there are plenty of options available for them to upgrade – if the front office decides that’s where they want to spend their money.

It’s important to note that the six players we’re going to look at in this are listed without regard to the schemes they come from or what they’re best suited to play in (i.e. 4-3 vs. 3-4). Defensive coordinator Brian Flores implements so much variety in his defensive gameplans that he can make use of talent regardless of the perceived “fit” in the scheme.

So, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a look at six options for the Minnesota Vikings to upgrade on the interior during free agency.

Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent interior defensive linemen

Free agency’s top interior defensive linemen

The Carolina Panthers have themselves one of the very best defensive tackles in the game. In fact, they have the one who just set an single-season tackle record for the position.

But if they’re looking to add to their front, let’s keep you in the know about the very best free-agent interior defensive linemen.

6 pending free agents to watch in Lions-49ers NFC Championship Game

6 pending free agents to watch in Lions-49ers NFC Championship Game

Two of the best teams in the NFL are about to take the stage when the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers kick off. Hopefully the New Orleans Saints can get where these squads have gotten and reach the NFC Championship Game next year.

Signing some of their players would help. Both the Lions and the 49ers have some pending free agents who could be good fits in New Orleans. If the Saints want to build a playoffs-ready roster, they should stock it with some players who have been there before. Here are some names to watch on Sunday evening:

Jalen Hurts must fix this one issue to turn the Eagles’ offense around

Jalen Hurts has been bailing too quickly from the pocket too often, and the Eagles’ offense is suffering for it. Can he turn it around against the Cowboys?

In the Philadelphia Eagles’ 42-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was pressured on 27 of his 45 passing attempts. That’s not only the most pressures any NFL quarterback has had on his attempts this season. Only Andy Dalton of the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 (27) and Daniel Jones of the New York Giants in Week 1 (28) have had more pressures in a game this season in their total dropbacks. While we know that the 49ers’ front six is probably the league’s best, and we also know that the Eagles’ offensive line hasn’t quite performed to last season’s standard, this wasn’t primarily about the 49ers winning the battle in the trenches, and the Eagles’ front five unable to hold up.

More than anything, it was about Hurts’ inability to adjust and reset under pressure. Some quarterbacks will drop their eyes to look at the pass rush, and if they can’t quickly get their eyes re-focused on their receivers, the play will fall apart.

The 49ers pressured Hurts with just four rushers on 20 of those plays, and as San Francisco edge-rusher Nick Bosa said after the game, the whole plan was about putting Hurts in positions where he would have to do just that.

“There was definitely an assignment focus — we had to make Jalen focus on the rush, and not look downfield,” Bosa said. “That was the key to the game. Our whole mentality was that we’re not trying to set the record on sacks — we’re trying to close the pocket, and we’re trying to keep his eyes on us. It’s obviously a really good offensive line, and he helps them out with how he evades. You can’t really pick a side with those guys, because you know he’s gonna get out of the pocket and win that way. So, I think we did a really good job of closing in on him.”

Bosa also commented on those plays where Hurts is running around and pointing at receivers.

“You get a push, and he sees that, so his eyes immediately go off his receivers. He’s dipping and dodging right in front of you, and you’re just trying to keep him in the pocket. It’s tough to be blocked for 10 seconds on a play, but it was an unselfish mentality from everybody, and it ended perfectly.”

It was different for Bosa and his linemates to train themselves to NOT go after the quarterback as they usually do.

“Yeah — I mean, there are so many different matchups in a week, and some weeks, you’re [trying] to hit your move and get the sack. This week, the entire focus was closing it in, making him do what he does, and it was effective.”

It was highly effective, and in this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys got deeper into how Hurts is… well, hurting his offense by dropping his eyes and losing his reads.

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You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os,” featuring Week 14’s biggest NFL matchups, right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Now, let’s get into the details, and why the Eagles’ passing game is regressing this season.

Watch: 49ers’ Javon Kinlaw cleans up Jalen Hurts for his first sack since 2020

Javon Kinlaw cleaned up Jalen Hurts for his first sack since his rookie season.

Early in their highly-anticipated clash with the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers’ defense has shown the ability to bend, but not break.

After Charvarius Ward broke up a Jalen Hurts pass in the end zone to force a field goal, the 49ers’ defense came up clutch with the Eagles threatening for the second consecutive drive.

With good coverage down field, Hurts wasn’t able to get the ball off while Javon Kinlaw and the 49ers pass rush broke through the Eagles’ tough offensive line. While Hurts looked like he was going down to give up the sack, Kinlaw got there at the right time to clean things up. His stop to Hurts marked his first sack since his rookie season in 2020.

Behind the negative play from Hurts, the 49ers defense were able to force the Eagles to kick another field goal.

Via @49ers on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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It appears Javon Kinlaw breakout season is here

The Javon Kinlaw breakout season the #49ers have been hoping for might be here.

The 49ers defensive line did what it was supposed to do against a banged up, porous offensive line. They applied pressure on quarterback Daniel Jones 23 times, led by defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. A surprise name popped up among their leaders in pressures though.

2020 first-round pick DL Javon Kinlaw posted four pressures Thursday night to finish ahead of both DT Arik Armstead and DE Drake Jackson. It was the second time in as many games that Kinlaw has posted four pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

Kinlaw is now up to 10 pressures in three games this season. That’s as many as he had in 10 games over the last two seasons combined. PFF has also issued overall grades of 83.8 and 78.1 for him – his two highest single-game grades since his rookie season.

It’s becoming clear why the 49ers were so adamant about getting Kinlaw healthy and on the field. Just being healthy through this preseason has obviously benefitted him, and now he’s starting to play consistently and the production is following.

Surely playing alongside players like Hargrave and Armstead have helped. Kinlaw’s individual talent is shining through though and the breakout year the 49ers have been hoping for appears to have arrived.

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